Important Skills That Can Boost Your Career Prospects

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The world of work has changed rapidly in recent years, thanks largely to the technological revolution that we are living in. This has brought opportunities in completely new fields such as social media marketing, app design and augmented reality. Unfortunately, many people find that getting the job of their dreams is far harder than they had anticipated. In this ultra-competitive world of job seeking, how can you stand out and get ahead? The answer lies in education and training, as it can pay to have the extra skills today’s employers are looking out for. Listed here are some of these important skills that can boost your career prospects and make it easier to find a job.

Social Media Skills

You may see social media as a hobby, but for many businesses, it can be a vital marketing and communication tool. Many people who run businesses are of a generation that grew up without social media, and so are not as aware of how to get the best out of it, but they will certainly be aware of its potential. If your resume demonstrates love and understanding of social media, it can make you attractive to potential employers, particularly if you emphasize that you can use it to promote the company that you wish to work for. If you are promoting your social media skills to employers, you’ll need to have a lot of followers, but it’s also important that your posts and tweets give a professional and business-like image of you.

Language Skills

Commerce is becoming increasingly multinational, and so businesses who want to make the most of the modern marketplace value language skills very highly. Chinese is a sought-after language, but Spanish is even more important to many American businesses as it allows them to communicate and trade more easily with Mexico and the countries of Central and South America. That’s why it can pay dividends as a job seeker to develop your skillset and study Spanish. It can be particularly advantageous to study Spanish abroad, as this means that you’ll also have experienced a culture that many businesses here in the United States will be interested in. Having a diploma, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in Spanish can really help you stand out from the crowd of applicants, whatever sector or job you eventually wish to work in.

Ambition And A Positive Attitude

You want to achieve a lot in life, so it’s important that you let potential employers know this. It’s often overlooked that employers love ambition in their workers, as this means that they will be highly motivated and prepared to work hard to get where they want to be. Interviewees are frequently asked where they will see themselves in five years’ time, and it’s important to stress that you would like to be in the company you’re being interviewed for, but in a more serious position having demonstrated your skills and abilities in the intervening years. This doesn’t show arrogance, but rather confidence, and that can be the key to making yourself memorable when compared to the others who are also being interviewed.

“Investing in your personal image and practicing your interview techniques can have a telling impact too. Coaches can help you prepare for those challenges, which can make you more employable. While out of work, it may be worth taking on some voluntary work. Not only does it look great on your resume, but it also keeps you motivated and in good spirits.” – Career Crisis? What Career Crisis

Leadership Skills

Ambition can often be closely tied in with another vital skill that many employers are looking for: leadership. If you have recently graduated, then you may not yet have the work experience to demonstrate your skills as a natural leader, but there may be other ways you can do this. Did you run a society or organization at college or university? Have you held a part-time job where you found yourself being given responsibilities greater than your initial remit? These can all demonstrate to an employer that you are a potential leader, so ensure that you present these experiences in the best possible light in your resume or during an interview.

Communication Skills

Whatever line of work you move in there is one skill more than any other that will allow you to progress through the ranks and reach your true potential: communication. Being able to communicate effectively can help you achieve sales, gain promotion, and earn the respect of your colleagues and managers, and we aren’t just talking about verbal communication. Today, written communication, whether via email or social media, is just as important as spoken communication, so if you can demonstrate a track record of success in this area, it’s sure to be looked upon favorably by employers. Ways that you can do this are by launching and running a popular blog or writing for local newspapers, magazines, or websites.

how can you stand out and get ahead? The answer lies in education and training, as it can pay to have the extra skills today's employers are looking out for

Design Skills

Design skills are among the most prized attributes for modern businesses, as we live in an increasingly visual world. A website is the most important marketing tool that a business has, but it will only attract and retain customers if it looks fresh and exciting, whereas a dull and tired website will make potential customers think the same of the products and services advertised on it. Similarly, social media posts that include striking visuals are much more likely to be read and then shared than posts that are predominantly text-driven. If you have excellent graphic design skills, and a good grasp of what modern consumers are looking for, you could turn this into a lucrative career where your talents will be in demand.

People Skills

Are you a people person who can get along with just about anyone? Maybe you find it easy to make people see your point of view, or halt arguments before they get out of hand? These skills could make you the perfect candidate for a customer service role, and this is one area of business that is becoming increasingly important. It has long been known that disgruntled customers are much more likely to make their feelings known than happy ones, but with the advent of social media, this has now become a much bigger threat to a company’s reputation. One well-worded complaint, or more pertinently, one badly worded response, can go viral and quickly be seen by many thousands of potential customers. Customer service experts have the ability to turn dissatisfied customers into satisfied customers, making what could have been a bad situation a positive one.

Coaching Skills

If you have a teaching degree or similar qualification, it can open doors to much more than the classroom. Smart businesses know the importance of having a dedicated coach or trainer on-site that can ensure that their staff are employing best practice at all times. Many companies also have bespoke in-house training courses that all new employees have to complete, and this means that they also need qualified and enthusiastic coaches to deliver them. If you’ve completed a teaching degree but feel the call to the commercial world rather than the world of education, then this could be the perfect choice of career.

The key to gaining a well-paid job in today’s competitive marketplace is to have a number of in-demand skills that you excel in and to be able to demonstrate your passion in these areas. Whether you are fluent in a language such as Spanish, an accomplished blogger, a design genius, a natural leader or an excellent communicator, these can all help you stand out from the crowd. Above all, be confident in the skills you have, and never undersell yourself or your achievements.